Author: News Desk

Insta Talk Episode 3: Live with Princess Diana’s fashion legacy &  Hope at the heart of Beirut On this week’s episode, Dyna Fayz is speaking to Ghayd Chammas, the man behind El 3ama to discover what’s happening on the ground in Beirut, a month after the disaster. Lebanese artist Christine Jamil is here to discuss how art and tragedy often come together and talks us through how painting has helped her process the Beirut blast.  Our fashion expert Rana is here to discuss the fashion legacy of the late Princess Diana of Wales and where you can shop to get…

A white professor admits to pretending to be black- but only because she got caught, says a former friend A white history professor who teaches African, Caribbean and diaspora history pretended to be a black woman for years, reopening the debate into the appropriation of race and identity in the United States.  George Washington University professor Jessica Krug admitted in a blog post on Medium that for the better part of her adult life “every move I’ve made, every relationship I’ve formed, has been rooted in the napalm toxic soil of lies.”  The university has said Krug’s revelations were now…

Iran’s coronavirus death toll tops 22,000- officials say schools will still open on Saturday Iran’s death toll from Covid-19 rose by 118 to 22,044 health ministry spokeswoman told state TV on Friday. The total number of known cases has now reached 382,772.  Sima Sadat Lari said 2,026 new cases have been identified in the past 24 hours in Iran, one of the Middle East’s hardest-hit countries.  Despite the risk of further spreading Covid-19 – that has some parents worried, Iranian authorities said schools would be open on Saturday under strict health protocols allowing them to operate safely.   …………………….. FOLLOW US…

France shuts 22 schools – just days after reopening – due to virus outbreaks France has shut 22 schools, just days after reopening, due to cases of Covid-19, French education minister Jean-Michel Blanquer said on Friday.  “In mainland France, there are currently 12 schools closed out of a total of over 60,000, which is a small figure. Adding 10 schools in La Reunion (island), that makes it 22,” Blanquer told Europe 1 radio.  Up to 130 classes have also been halted within schools and the minister said the authorities were checking around 250 incidents related to Covid-19 in schools every…

Boycott Mulan? Hong Kong protesters outraged over star’s public support for police  Star of Disney’s live-action Mulan remake, Liu Yifei, waded into the Hong Kong protest controversy on Thursday, sharing her public support for the city’s police, who anti-government protesters say are using excessive force.  The Chinese- born, American citizen posted on Weibo: “I support the Hong Kong police, You can all attack me now. What a shame for Hong Kong.”  #BoycottMulan starting trending on Twitter immediately and within a few hours, the hashtag was trending in Hong Kong and the United States. Twitter has slammed the actress and accused…

Friday, 4 September coronavirus updates BRIEF – ME! – DAILY NEWS BRIEFINGFriday 4 September 2020 News Briefing – Today’s headlines are dominated by the global Coronavirus Pandemic. As of 6:30 am (GMT), these are the global active numbers.Global COVID-19 UPDATECoronavirus Cases: 26,475,568Deaths: 873,285Recovered: 18,665,737 Japan considers free Covid-19 vaccines for all residentsBrazil passes 4 million Covid-19 cases, amid tentative signs of virus easingPivotal moment as Leeds looks to avoid lockdownRobert Pattinson tests positive for covid Previous Next Headlines: What the papers say? Pivotal moment as Leeds looks to avoid lockdown.India logs record 83,883 Covid-19 cases in a day.Brazil passes 4 million Covid-19…

Amazon to create 7,000 UK jobs Amazon has said it will create a further 7,000 UK jobs this year to meet growing demand. So far, the retail giant has already created 3,000 roles in 2020, and by the end of the year, it would have created 10,000 new jobs. The new UK jobs will take Amazon’s UK workforce to more than 40,000. Amazon says the new jobs will be permanent and pay £9.50 an hour. It is planning to recruit a further 20,000 for seasonal roles over the festive period.  The company has faced criticism in the past from unions…

Harry and Meghan to produce Netflix movies and documentaries Harry and Meghan have signed a deal with Netflix to create documentaries, feature films and other shows. It comes after the couple stepped down as senior royals earlier this year.  The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be producing films and series for the streaming platform, including scripted series, docu-series, documentaries, features and children’s programming.  ‘Understand the power of the human spirit’ In a statement, they said: “Our lives, both independent of each other and as a couple, have allowed us to understand the power of the human spirit: of courage,…

A cargo ship carrying 43 crew and thousands of cattle feared lost, Japan rescuers find one man alive A cargo ship carrying 43 crew and nearly 6,000 cattle that is feared to have sunk after it sent a distress signal during stormy weather in the East China Sea.  Rescuers in Japan were searching on Thursday and Japan’s coastguard said one person had so far been found in a search involving four vessels and several planes.  The rescued crew member Filipino Sareno Edvardo told the coast guard that the Gulf Livestock 1, a 139-metre Panamanian-flagged vessel, capsized after losing an engine. …

Black man died of asphyxiation after NY police used ‘spit hood’ and held him face-down for two minutes  An unarmed black man died in New York state after police used a ‘spit hood’ and held him face-down to the road for two minutes, body camera footage shows. Daniel Prude, 41, was suffering from mental health issues when he was retrained by police in March. He died in hospital a week later. His story has only now been made public by his family.  Two months after Mr Prude’s death, the killing of unarmed George Floyd, who had a police officer kneeling on…